Hydrogen Powertrains in Competition to Fossil Fuel Based Internal Combustion Engines and Battery Electric Powertrains

Authors

Dipl.-Ing. M. Sens, Dr.-Ing. C. Danzer, Dipl.-Ing. C. von Essen, Dr.-Ing. M. Brauer, Dipl.-Ing. R. Wascheck, Dr.-Ing. J. Seebode, Dipl.-Ing. M. Kratzsch, IAV GmbH, Berlin:

Year

2021

Print Info

Production/Publication ÖVK

Summary

The achievement of future climate goals means an urgent shift towards a CO₂-neutral society. Alongside renewably generated electricity, hydrogen plays a key role in this. Hydrogen is seen as "the" solution for a post-fossil but still flexible energy supply, particularly because of its storage and transport capability. Even if hydrogen is currently more being discussed as a basic material for industrial applications or their CO₂-neutral energy supply and is already being widely used in some cases, it also represents a highly interesting energy carrier for mobility. On the one hand side, it can be used in conventional combustion engines, but also in fuel cells for electric powertrains. However, this article presents how hydrogen-based powertrains compare to purely batteryelectric powertrain and diesel engine powertrains powered by fossil fuel in three different vehicle classes. The three vehicle classes are in detail a heavy passenger car, a light commercial vehicle and finally the heavy commercial vehicle. To classify the potential of the powertrains in terms of TtW, WtW and also CtG CO₂ intensities as well as manufacturing costs and the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership), a techno-economic study was carried out, the results of which are discussed in detail in this paper.

The study comes to the following main conclusions:

1. In passenger cars, hydrogen powertrain may well be an alternative to battery electric powertrains, at least in the medium term, until a sufficient amount of nationally generated fully renewable electricity is available.

2. For the fuel cell, it is even possible to speak of a long-term alternative in the passenger car sector. In this case, however, blue and turquoise hydrogen or imported green hydrogen must be available and used.

3. Hybridized H₂ ICE powertrains represent a real alternative to battery-electric mobility and the fuel cell for light commercial vehicles in the medium and long term, both from a CO₂ equivalent and TCO point of view.

4. In heavy-duty commercial vehicles for long-haul application, hydrogen powertrains represent a rapid measure for achieving a CO₂-free mobility, especially in the short and medium term. From a TCO point of view, the H₂-ICE can be seen as a short-term solution with an advantage over the FC. This will change from 2030, when the FC will also have an advantage in terms of TCO. In the regional delivery sector, the BEV will prevail. For special applications with increased power density requirements, highly efficient diesel (e-fuel) or H₂-ICE powertrains will also play a role in the long term.

5. If the focus is purely on the TtW efficiency of the powertrain, the FC is basically at an advantage over the H₂ ICE in all applications.

Number of pages

78 Order